Golf is a game in which form is emphasized over athletic ability. Proper muscle control, therefore, is essential to obtain any degree of success in playing golf. Even minute variations in the golf swing can have disastrous consequences for the golfer.
The old adage that "practice makes perfect" is no more true in any endeavor than it is in golf. The sequence of movements needed to complete an effective golf swing can be learned by repetition. For this reason, both beginning and experienced golfers flock to driving ranges where dozen of balls can be hit within a short span of time. For the experienced golfer, a few sessions a week at the driving range helps the golfer maintain his or her presumptively good form. For the inexperienced golfer, however, sessions at the driving range may serve only to engrain bad habits. Some form of assistance is needed to help the inexperienced golfer to avoid pitfalls and to develop a proper golf swing.
The theory that the golf club should move within a single plane during a proper golf swing has provided the basis for numerous golf training devices. Such devices are exemplified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,567,530; 2,520,287; 3,341,208; 3,583,707; and 4,583, 740. Broadly, such devices include a circular guide which engages the shaft of the golf club to direct it through a proper golf swing. The golfer uses the device by standing within the guide and swinging the golf club as if trying to strike the golf ball. The circular guide keeps the golf club in alignment during the golf swing. By repeating the golf swing, the muscles of the body can be trained to carry out the sequence of movements needed to effectuate a proper golf swing.
A drawback to such prior art devices is that there is no means to indicate to the novice golfer how far back the club should be swung, even though excessive backswing is a serious problem with novice golfers.